Hi everyone!
The Player of the Match, unsurprisingly, is Ramhanullah Gurbaz: "Of course disappointed with the result, but that's cricket. We were short 25 runs or so, cos the wicket wasn't that difficult. I just tried to do my best, but I think the way we finished in the final overs wasn't good. Playing franchise cricket has helped a lot, because of how we train to compete in those big competitions. We hope to take the form from here to the World Cup as well."
Winning Captain Dasun Shanaka: "It's the belief of the dressing room, we believe we can chase anything in these kinds of wickets. We can always analyze the wicket better when chasing. There was a plan coming into this game, we know they have good batters, but the boys executed the plans really well. As I mentioned in the toss, partnerships were the key to winning the game. We had spoken about that, and now we know how to approach matches and win games."
Najibullah Zadran getting the Catch of the Match award for his incredible work on the boundary line to dismiss Dasun Shanaka.
Losing Captain Mohammed Nabi: We were about 20-25 runs short, and also we didn't field well or bowl in the right areas. It's a better pitch today than the one we played on against Bangladesh, which is why I said we were a few runs short. We didn't bowl brilliantly, but we bowled really well. We dropped some catches, which if we took the game would have been different."
Alright, presentation ceremony is almost underway...
Prithvi : "SL should only make 1 change to this team. Play Rajapaksha at No.3 and Aslanka at no.5. Rajapaksha is too good a player to come at no.5 in T20Is and he played pretty well in IPL at No.3" Considering his [Bhanuka's] particular skillset, perhaps a floating role suits him best.
Kasun Udana: "Many are talking about Afghanistan's missed chances cost them the match. Then what about that reprieve of Gurbaz at he was 5. It's SL's death bowling that won them the match. Not merely the luck." Yes, luck definitely does go both ways, in the end it's all about how you capitalise on those moments of good fortune.
Analyst : "Good win for SL, as this Afghanistan team can beat any team in this format. Also good to the Asia Cup very competitive, previously it has always been either India, SL, Pak winning the cup. The stats on the winners do not lie.. SL death bowing good today by the very young fast bowlers. Mine when the experience papers come back KJP, Avishka, possibly Matthews. A fairly good team will sl have in this format "
Bhanuka Rajapaksa: "Wicket seemed quite good with the way they batted, we just needed to be a bit cautious when the spinners came into play. In the IPL I can bat at three, but to strengthen the middle order I was put at five. It's a floating role, but I like it. It was very embarrassing for us to get out for 105, so we wanted to put our hands up and show the nation we weren't as bad as that."
9.40pm So Sri Lanka get a measure of redemption against Afghanistan after that opening game trouncing, and they do it in style completing the highest ever chase on this ground and the highest ever chase against Afghanistan in T20s. After their bowlers had done brilliantly to claw Afghanistan back in the death, the batters kept pace with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis giving a solid platform at the top, before cameos from Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Wanindu Hasaranga sealed the win. Afghanistan though will wonder what could have been, after they had more than their fair share of chances to put the game to bed. First their batters couldn't capitalise in the death overs, and then in the field it was a mixed bag with great fielding mixed with many drops. Sri Lanka won't mind though, and this will give them a load of confidence going into the game against India on Tuesday.
[Reference](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/asia-cup-2022-1327237/afghanistan-vs-sri-lanka-super-4-1327275/live-cricket-score)
192.363 SRY